


Ice King, Icing

by Mydarling-ilya (Ackermission)



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale, 半妖の夜叉姫 | Hanyou no Yashahime | Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon (Anime)
Genre: Baking and matchmaking, F/M, Fluff, Rin the ASMR baker youtuber, Romance, Sesshomaru the heir, Time Travel, modern sessrin AU, no love triangles, sessrin - Freeform, side pairing: inukag
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-15 09:01:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29681568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ackermission/pseuds/Mydarling-ilya
Summary: Rin is an office worker by day, and an ASMR baker-YouTuber by night. She has a pretty good life- with a loving grandmother, friends, life in the big city, success and lots of delicious baked treats. The only thing missing is romance. Little does she know that there's a secret matchmaker trying to bring her closer to none other than Sesshomaru, heir to Taisho Corporation and the strongest youkai alive.
Relationships: Rin/Sesshoumaru (InuYasha)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 47





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone!  
> I've been wanting to write and post this fic for so long, and I'm so excited to finally be here! Enjoy my humble lil offering :)

“And that’s a wrap!” Rin whisper-shouts to herself, clicking her camera off. In front of her are three beautiful little cakes sitting in disposable lunchbox containers. One covered in white icing and fresh strawberries, the second in pastel pink and blue swirls and the last, a cheery sunshine yellow decorated with fondant orange slices. The yellow cake had a slice neatly cut out of it, revealing three chocolate layers with generous amounts of cream. 

Rin grabs it and digs in. She savors each fluffy bite. On camera she had presented it with a dainty little golden spoon and a pretty floral china plate. With it safely turned off, however, she holds it in one hand and cups the other underneath to catch any crumbs. Her own little reward. It’s the third video she has filmed this week.

Once done, she packs up the rest of the cake and cleans her kitchen studio. It’s a spacious room she rents to make videos for her YouTube channel. Rin loves this place. It’s woodsy, modern and decorated with cheeky little knick-knacks that she loves to showcase in front of the camera. As she wipes down the countertop, she thinks about the rest of her work with some dread. 

Editing is the best and worst worst part of making a video. On one hand, she loves it. She loves how fun it is, playing around with layouts, masks and music. It gets her creative juices flowing. But on the other hand, it is an absolute time vacuum. She can sit with her laptop on a Saturday morning, looking through all her clips, and by the time she’s had them arranged in a good sequence, got the text on screen in the right places, and messed around with the audio to get the perfect ASMR effect, it’s already evening.

Which wouldn’t be a problem if she was working on YouTube full-time. But she isn’t, she has a regular office job just like everyone else. YouTube is just a way of making a little extra cash (and treats) for herself and her grandmother. And thank goodness for the older woman, who’s one of the few people able to pull Rin out of her editing frenzy and back to Earth. Her delicious cooking is an added godsend.

Rin sighs. Caught up in her thoughts, the young woman suddenly realizes that she had been twirling her finger around her microphone wire for a good few minutes. She quickly packs the equipment into her bag and locks up her studio. 

With a final tug at her scarf, Rin heads into the freezing Tokyo winter. 

\------

Kagome’s left glove is off. She decided it was best to leave it off, despite the cold, because of how often she feels the urge to glance at her hand. Yesterday it was an ordinary (though prettily manicured) hand, but today a beautiful diamond ring graces her fourth finger. Today she is no longer a ‘single’ woman, she is engaged.

Inuyasha grumbles something about the cold and takes her other hand. His face is still red from the proposal (very tasteful, done in the park they had first met). It goes nicely with his red outer coat. Kagome smiles and squeezes his hand. “I can’t wait to tell everyone!”

Inuyasha’s responding smile looks more like a grimace. 

Kagome nudges him. “What? You’re getting married to the love of your life, I think you could be a little more excited.”

“It’s not that, Kagome,” he says. His eyes are warm, but there is a tightness around them. “You know I’d marry you right now if I could.”

They reach Inuyasha’s car. He beeps it unlocked and opens the passenger side door for his now-fiancee. Kagome gets in, watching him with curiosity.

“What’s the matter then?”

“It’s… no, nothing important.”

\-----

“Tell me that story again,” Rin pleads. She and her grandmother Kaede are sitting across each other at the small dining table in their apartment. A steaming bowl of Oyakodon sits in between them, and the young woman is helping herself to seconds.

Kaede shakes her head affectionately. “You’ve already heard it many times, child. You know it almost better than I do.”

“Yes, but I love it!”

“Aye, that you do. It was your favourite bedtime story since you were a wee little thing.”

“Are you saying I’m too old now?” Rin frowns, but her eyes sparkle with mischief.

“No, no…” Kaede grumbles. “Alright, I’ll tell ye.”

Her tone is mock-disapproving, but she’s more than happy to tell Rin the story of how she became her granddaughter. It’s a cherished memory. Besides, the girl had very little memory of her life before she came to be with Kaede, so who is she to deny her this?

“It was a warm spring night,” she begins, and Rin perks up, putting both hands underneath her chin.

“I was up late, tending to a poor family in my village who had fallen ill. By the time I returned home it was well past midnight. Everything was quiet save for the occasional owl hoot. I prepared to go to sleep. But when I lay down and closed my eyes, I couldn’t sleep a wink. Now that I think about it…. Maybe I was meant to stay awake. Fate knew it was a very important night.” Kaede’s eyes soften ever so slightly.

“ After about an hour, I sensed a disturbance in the energy of my surroundings. It was too far off to know what exactly, but something was approaching the village.

I got up. It didn’t take long to dress, and in minutes I was at the village gate. The strange energy got closer and closer, stronger and stronger... until I realized whose energy I was sensing- Youkai. Two of them were coming fast to our village. Had this been a few decades ago I would have nocked an arrow and shot them on sight. But things had recently become more peaceful… so I waited.”

Rin can’t contain her growing smile. This is her favorite part.

“Soon I could see them,” Kaede continues, oblivious to Rin’s excitement. She seems to be looking at something far away- or rather, into the past, watching the scene unfold as she speaks. “An unusual dragon with two heads, saddled and ridden by a tiny green imp. They were flying in my direction.

“I checked that my bow and arrows were ready, but made no other movement. In seconds they landed in front of me. The imp jumped off the dragon’s back and spoke. “Is this a safe village for humans?” I was confused by his question and immediately prepared to signal Kikyo. But something, call it gut instinct, stopped me and I said yes. He didn’t look too pleased- made a sound like “hmmph” and asked me to follow him. 

“The imp led me to the dragon, and tied to its saddle was a sleeping little girl.” Kaede inclines her head to Rin. “You. A tiny, puny little thing covered in blood, grime and bruises. 

“He asked again, “Is it safe for her?”

“And then I understood. Somehow, this youkai was kind enough to  _ help  _ a human. They had brought you to safety, which was unheard of at the time. Youkai and humans kept the peace by avoiding each other and rarely went out of their way to aid each other.

“I took another look at you. Underneath all the injuries, the bruises, you were a bag of bones. You had clearly been starving for a good while. But asleep, you looked so at peace.” Kaede looks at Rin, seeing that little girl again. Though it had been several years and even more retellings of this story, her heart still breaks a little at this part. 

“Your hair was in some semblance of a ponytail. There were even flowers in it… And I didn’t have to think for a second longer. I agreed to take you in. And- well, you know the rest.”

Rin’s eyes are shining. “Yes I do.”

“Oh, child, I’ve told you this story hundreds of times before. Why do you get so emotional?”

“I’m not emotional! Something just got into my eye.”

“Both eyes?”

“Yes, what about it?”

Kaede just looks at her. Then she chuckles. “Alright. Just make sure the effects of, ah, whatever got into your eyes don’t last too long.”

\-----

They are almost at Inuyasha’s father’s home office. The large mulberry wood doors, with their intricate carvings and gleaming brass handles, loom over them. Kagome is absolutely beaming. She half-walks, half-runs the remaining few steps with Inuyasha in tow.

Inuyasha tugs her to a stop before she can knock. “Kagome…”

Kagome stops with a sigh. “What is it now?”

“It’s just… I know you're excited, and I am too. But Father is a little more... old-fashioned.”

“I know your dad, Inuyasha. He’ll be happy for us, even if he is a little formal about it.”

Inuyasha looks carefully at her. The excitement in her face has mellowed into something softer and more understanding. It makes the knot in his chest loosen a little. He returns her smile. 

“Then let’s go in together.”

\-----

Grandma cooks, Rin cleans. This has always been their way. It works well for both of them, as Kaede usually retires to bed soon after dinner but Rin sleeps late. 

She begins by washing the dishes. As her hands fall into the motions of rinse-scrub-rinse-dry, her mind is free to wander. Tonight’s topic of choice is Kaede’s story. It usually is, on the nights Grandma retells it to her. 

Rin tries to remember that fateful night, or more specifically, the days leading up to that night. She has barely any memories from before her life with Kaede. From a developmental standpoint, she knows this can’t be a good thing because she was nine years old then. All her friends remember their childhoods. And some browsing on the internet when she was a teenager confirmed that this wasn’t normal. So she tries to remember something, anything, from the first nine years of her life. 

It’s not an entirely blank slate. She remembers feelings, like a vague sense of cold and pain. There was a lot of shouting, a lot of people towering over her. Grown-ups. So much fear. Until… until she met Angel.

Angel was not their real name, of course. She knew little to nothing about them, and could barely even remember what they looked like. All she knew was that they were more beautiful than anyone she had ever seen before, and she felt safe in their presence.

Angel saved her life. She is sure of this, though she doesn’t remember what the danger was in the first place. Maybe it was the angry grown-ups. Maybe it was the loneliness. But she knows with a certainty deep in her bones, that she was in danger and Angel saved her.

Which doesn’t add up somehow. She doesn’t know what they have to do with the green imp or the dragon. Grandma said that those two brought her to safety, and she doesn’t lie. 

Rin had read online that children often make up imaginary friends when they were lonely. Maybe that was it. Maybe she had made Angel up because all the grown-ups around her were scary, and she was a lonely child. And the little green youkai took pity on her and brought her to kinder humans.

Either way, she was truly lucky that had happened. Angel or no, the efforts of many people brought her to where she was today- safe, warm and in a loving home. And she’s never one to turn a blind eye to her blessings.

\-----

“My sincerest congratulations to both of you,” Inuyasha’s father says warmly. “I knew this day would come, and I’m glad my son came to his senses and asked you to marry him. He’s in good hands now.”

Inuyasha glowers at his father, but there’s no heat behind it. Beside him, Kagome giggles. 

They’re seated on a comfortable leather loveseat in the sitting area of the Inu no Taisho’s office. It’s a bright, spacious room, with solid wooden flooring and large windows. A set of transparent sliding glass doors to the garden take up half the wall. Across them, the man himself sits on one of the matching leather chairs. 

“Thank you very much,” she says.

Taisho inclines his head in acknowledgement.

Inuyasha keeps quiet, glancing at Kagome. She’s clearly expecting a specific follow-up question, but it doesn't come. His father continues making small talk, inquiring about her breakfast, the weather and a little bit more about the proposal. He pokes another good-natured joke at Inuyasha. Kagome continues to smile and reply, but it starts to feel a little forced.

Until a determined look flashes in her eyes. 

She broaches the topic.

“I was thinking we’d have the wedding this autumn,” she says, glancing at Inuyasha.

“Huh? Yes, that sounds perfect.”

As he nods, he eyes his father warily. This is the moment of truth- will he let it pass, and indirectly give them the okay for this wedding; or will he say what Inuyasha’s been dreading? Taisho pauses mid-sip of his tea. He looks first at Kagome, then Inuyasha, and then Kagome again. Then he raises an eyebrow and puts his teacup down with measured grace.

“My dear… as lovely as an autumn wedding sounds, I’m afraid it’s not possible.”

“Wh- I mean, we know you are busy, Taisho-sama, and we can adjust to suit your schedule.”

“You misunderstand, young lady. I would love to attend this autumn wedding. I truly would. But I can’t allow it.”

“You-” Kagome’s face goes from shock to disbelief to frustration, and she swallows. “Why?”

“Our family business has been built through centuries of trade, first with high-profile youkai and now with humans,” Taisho begins, shooting a disapproving glance at Inuyasha. “And because of that, we have built an excellent reputation. The world’s eyes are on us. As Sesshomaru will one day inherit my title and companies, he is to get married first.”

Kagome gapes at him wordlessly.

“We can get married privately. No media, no press release, no bullshit.” Inuyasha suggests in a rush.

“Son, you know better than that,” Taisho says evenly. “You are a public figure, and marriage records cannot be hidden. Our stakeholders must be informed.”

“Taisho-sama, with all due respect… Sesshomaru has been single for as long as I’ve known him. We may never get married in my lifetime.”

If Inuyasha hadn’t been so frustrated with his father’s response, he would have whistled at his fiancee’s blunt observation.

Taisho only looks amused. “Then I suggest you find him someone.”

It’s clear that nothing more can be said to change his father’s mind. Once it’s made up, it’s set in stone. Inuyasha stands up. 

“We won’t disturb you anymore, Old Man,” he says.

“Right, it’s been half an hour already.” Kagome reluctantly gets up. “You must be busy Taisho-sama. We’ll get going.”

“Please, no need for formalities. You are to be my daughter-in-law,” Mr. Taisho says. “Feel free to drop by any time.”

Kagome seems to barely restrain a growl. “Come on, Inuyasha.”

\-----

Rin shoves a piece of toast in her mouth. She’s alone in the apartment- today is a weekday, and Grandma left for work a few hours ago. Despite the fact that she’s well past the retirement age and Rin makes enough money to support both of them, Kaede insists on working. She's an instructor at a well-known archery studio. She says it’s good for the joints. Rin knows it’s mostly just her Grandma’s need to get out and do something. She was the chief priestess of her old village, after all.

Rin’s own job is a little later in the morning, giving her time to wake up, get ready and transfer some clips to her phone for editing. That’s what she’s doing right now. She taps out ingredient measurements and caption ideas on the notes app on her phone while her laptop loads the clips she’s selected. It sits in the middle of her small dining table, competing for space with her breakfast plate and coffee mug. 

She’s already dressed for the day in a simple grey sweater and jeans. Her scarf, coat and handbag hang on Grandma’s chair. She chews and types quickly, brow furrowed, completely lost in her creative bubble.

An alarm snaps her out of it. 10:25 AM already?! Thanking her past self for this foresight, she swipes the alarm off and quickly clears the table. In a few minutes she’s taking the short walk to the train station. 

The traffic is always interesting to look at. One could stand and watch the multilayered, mesmerising sight for hours. There is so much going on everywhere- the quiet rumbling of underground trains, street-level roads with standard cars, vehicles and foot traffic, the pitter-patter of quick footsteps across ceilings accompanied by little thuds as people jumped across the roof-level half-bridges (structures resembling the beginning and the end of regular bridges, with nothing in between, used by youkai - and though rare, hanyou- who could jump those distances) and the sky, dotted with flying youkai. 

Even keeping her eyes mostly on her own level, Rin still catches a glimpse of a group of kitsune children jumping above her on the sturdy wooden half-bridges in quick succession. She can hear their gleeful chatter as they pass above her. Her ears also catch the telltale whoosh of youkai flying high above the buildings every now and then. 

Feeling somewhat envious, she watches the crowd in front of her become steadily thicker as she approaches the station. It’s going to be slow-going for her.

Perks of being a human.

\-----

Kagome barely restrains herself from slamming her car door shut. She doubts that her Prius, well maintained as it is, can withstand her wrath. Luckily, she’d come to the one place where she could let it all out- DJ Boxing Gym, a place she hadn’t needed to visit in a good few months.

She sighs. It really has been going that good, huh?

Before she knows it, her coat and bag are safely out of the way and she has her favorite boxing gloves on. They’re a rather faded green, snug and supportive. She waves away the instructor who came to help her- not her usual one, and she knows what she’s doing- and walks up to the biggest punchbag. 

Her fists do all the talking as rage takes over her mind. It isn’t so bad that she loses her technique, but still fuels her enough to make her punch fast and hard. She settles into a rhythm, working with the anger as it ebbs and flows.

_ Damn you Inuyasha! And DAMN YOU TAISHO!  _

She continued pummelling the punchbag, her motions starting to get erratic.

_ It was just one stupid rule. ONE. Standing between us and our wedding. And it might as well be Mount Everest. Damn it! _

That asshole broke his own clan’s traditions of not associating with humans too closely. He had a hanyou son, for fuck’s sake! But no, apparently Sesshomaru had to get married first.

Because he was the oldest son and heir to Taisho Corp, the first marriage of this generation of inuyoukai had to be his. Which should be easy given his looks, but the man was incredibly cold and distant. She’d seen him completely ignore every single woman who flirted with him. He’d been single his entire life. All five hundred years of it. And now, because of him, she’d probably get married at eighty-three, if she was lucky.

Letting out a frustrated yell, Kagome pounds both her hands against the punchbag and positions her arms for round two.

“Thought I’d find you here,” a familiar voice calls.

“Sango!” Kagome spins around, smile forming on her lips in spite of everything. “How did you know I was here?”

Sango shrugs. “I could hear you. My dojo’s right next door, remember?”

“Huh,” Kagome says. It really had been that long since her last visit. 

She wipes the sweat off her brow and looks at her friend. Sango is pretty as always, with her shiny high ponytail, pink eyeliner and matching top with skinny jeans. Her smile is warm and friendly.

Kagome grins sheepishly. “I was that loud, huh?”

“Well to be fair, I only knew it was you because I know what your yelling sounds like.”

Kagome winces at that implication. She really used to come here that often? “I should have visited or called. It’s been a really long time!”

“Oh don’t worry, I’m sure you were busy. I was too. But I just got off work and I’m free for the rest of the day. Why don’t we catch up? I know this great cafe nearby.”

“Oh sure! Just let me get changed first.” Kagome vaguely gestures at her sweaty outfit. “Can’t go anywhere in this.”

\-----

“Buttercup, huh? Cute name,” Kagome comments.

It looks as cute as it sounds. Nestled away on a side-street, the cafe is cozy, with warm lighting, invitingly soft couches and gleaming wood accents. They’re seated at one of the two-seaters by the large windows, giving them a view of lush greenery outside. 

Good decor aside, a pleasing aroma of coffee and baking envelops the friends. Kagome feels her shoulders relax.

“It opened about five months ago. Kohaku designed this place.”

“Wow, really?! It’s beautiful!”

Kagome had met Sango’s younger brother a couple of times, and remembers her friend mentioning that he was an interior designer. It was interesting to see his work in the flesh. He’d done a good job, conveying warmth and a rather dreamy escape from the cold outside. 

Sango beams with pride for her baby brother. “It really is! I find myself coming here often.”

“That’s promising.” Kagome’s stomach growls right on cue. They laugh. 

Once their food and drinks arrive- cappuccino and a flakey croissant for Kagome, and hot chocolate and a donut for Sango- Sango finally voices the question.

“Kagome, is everything all right?” she asks gently.

“Well…” Kagome looks up from her steaming mug. “Yes, in a sense. I was just frustrated over some news.”

“What happened?”

“It’s kind of a long story. I’ll tell you!” she hastily adds, noticing Sango making her “I’ll not pry” face. “See, Inuyasha and I got engaged yesterday-”

“Congratulations!!” Sango bursts out. “Goodness, Kagome, don’t tell me something upset you and then suddenly announce you’re engaged!”

“Oh, uh, thank you..?” Kagome blushes. “And sorry, I should have told you that first. But that’s not what I’m upset about, not really. I’m happy to be engaged to him!”

“That’s great! Then what’s the matter?”

Kagome sighs. “It’s a dead end. We wanted to get married by the end of the year, and I was ready to start planning the wedding. But then Inuyasha’s father is stuck on this one family tradition- he wants the older brother to get married first. It’s ‘good for the family name’ or something. I tried to persuade him but he won’t budge.”

Sango winces. “You mean,  _ Sesshomaru _ has to get married first.”

“Yes! You see where I’m getting at?”

“Of course I do,” Sango reaches over and pats Kagome’s hand consolingly.

They lapse into a companionable silence as they eat. The croissant is delicious. Kagome feels a little better after eating it, realizing belatedly that she might have been hangry.

Then Sango suddenly looks up. “Why, Kagome,”

“Yes?”

“Finding someone for Sesshomaru is a challenge for almost anyone in the world. But there’s only one exception- you.”

“What do you mean?” Kagome asks, confused.

“I mean-” Sango’s eyes are bright, as she looks around cautiously and then lowers her voice. “-all you have to do is  _ visit your family _ .”

Kagome blinks at her for a second. Then it dawns on her.

“Sango, you genius!! How could I forget?!”

“Well, it has been a while since you last saw them.” Sango giggles.

“Now that you reminded me, it’s going to be a piece of cake. Speaking of, let’s order some- my treat!”

\-----

“You could elope, you know,” Sango says. They’re outside the cafe, waiting for the rain to slow so that they can get to Kagome’s car. “If Sesshomaru turns out not to be married.”

“No, I want a proper wedding. Inuyasha and I were practically married anyway, what’s the point of just a piece of paper?”

“A secret wedding, then?”

“Too risky. Taisho will find-”

“Sango-san!”

Both of them turn at the unexpected new voice. A bight-eyed young woman stands behind them, holding a paper bag. Sango smiles at her. “Ah, Rin-chan! How nice to see you again!”

Rin smiles back, giving Kagome a curious glance. “I wanted to give you this. I made it last night and they turned out really well! Oh and there’s one for your friend too.”

“Aw, thank you! This is Kagome, my friend. Kagome, Rin.” She inclines her head at each woman during the introduction and they smile in greeting.

“When’s the video coming out?” Sango asks as Rin hands her the bag.

“In three days hopefully.” When Rin smiles this time, she looks more tired. It sits oddly on her pretty face. 

“Please don’t wear yourself out,” Sango says, concerned.

“No, I’m all right! My schedule may be a little busy but not too much to handle.”

“That’s good.” Sango replies.

There’s a short silence, and then Rin bows her head. “I should get going.”

“Of course! We’ll talk later. Thanks for.. Whatever this is!”

Rin giggles. “I think you’ll like this one especially.”

She waves at the two women and heads back into the cafe.

Kagome raises an eyebrow at Sango. “Cute kid. What were you guys talking about?”

“Oh, Rin has a Youtube channel! She usually cooks and bakes things on there, and it’s really aesthetic and relaxing. She must’ve made these for a video.”

Sango reaches into the bag and takes out a disposable lunchbox. “You’re in for a treat, her cooking is delicious. Here.” she hands it to Kagome.

“Oh, thanks!” Kagome says, taking it. “Well I better get going. It was so good to meet you again, Sango. We should definitely hang out more often!”

Saying their goodbyes, the friends part ways.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin gets her very first order and meets (and nervously roasts) the most gorgeous man she's ever met. Kagome is very pleased with this development.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting the first 2 chapters together as promised. The rest will be one chapter at a time.  
> A big thank you to my friends on Discord who allowed me to use their usernames for a post in this chapter! You guys are awesome. I hope you like your cameo!  
> Enjoy!

The rest of the week flies by. It’s a lovely sunny Saturday, and Rin is out shopping with her friend Kohaku. The shopping is mostly for him, he needs to find home decor for his new apartment. But Rin keeps an eye out for things for her own studio too. She’s been using the same knick-knacks for a good few months now, and she’s sure her viewers are getting bored of seeing the same chicken-and-egg decorations. Even if they did have funny faces.

They come out of the last store on the street empty-handed.

“I don’t get it. They usually have good stuff, I've bought from them before.” Kohaku grumbles.

“Eh, maybe we’re off-season.”

“That’s the last place I know.”

“Oh that’s alright! Musashino isn’t far, and I know a great shop there.”

Kohaku gives her a look.

“It has more shade and actual food stalls too,” Rin offers.

When he doesn’t respond she sighs. “You’ll be fine, Kohaku. It’s a mostly human area.”

“Right. The keyword being  _ mostly _ .”

“Yes. And that’s good enough! Come on, no one will attack you. Not with me around.”

“Oh really? And what if they do?”

“They won’t. I’m too cute for anyone to even think of hurting me by attacking my friend.”

Kohaku laughs. “Of course you are.”

Rin huffs and uncrosses her arms. “So?”

He considers it, all traces of amusement fading. For someone otherwise so light-hearted, he really takes this ‘ban’ ( if it can even be called that) very seriously. But considering that his life is possibly on the line Rin doesn’t blame him. After all, generations of his ancestors made a living off hunting and killing youkai. After the peace treaty and youkai gradually beginning to live and work among humans, they had to disband and look for jobs elsewhere. And with several hundreds of youkai being near-immortal and remembering their loved ones killed by Kohaku’s ancestors, he had sentenced himself to human-only residential and shopping areas. 

While the sentiment was a good one and it definitely kept him safe, it hurt his work. He’s an incredibly talented interior designer. But by limiting himself to human zones, he either had to work with a tiny selection or source them from other places via delivery- adding to his costs.

Rin has been trying to get him to step into relatively safe non-human zones for a while now. Like right now, for instance- Musashino was usually frequented by humans and sometimes ‘friendly’ youkai. And the shop she wants to go to has great items at reasonable prices.

He’d almost agreed last time. Today could very well be the day.

Finally done pondering, Kohaku looks up. “Okay, I’ll come.”

Rin grins, resisting the urge to punch her fist in the air. “Amazing! Let’s go!”

\-----

“Are we there yet?”

“Almost. It’s right over there, see? The one with the big orange sign.”

They’re finally in Musashino after a twenty-minute train ride. The place Rin has in mind is on a shopping street, and that alone is enough to lift her spirits after the morning’s failure. Good shops, good food, good prices, beautiful weather, not too crowded- what’s not to like?

“Ah, yes.” 

Kohaku doesn’t look too reassured. He’s all but clinging to Rin’s arm, and she noticed him scan their surroundings at least five times in as many minutes. She doesn’t comment on it. Everyone she’s seen so far seems human, or passes as human well enough. Most of them are youngsters enjoying their weekend, hanging out by the food shops. The older crowd seems more focused on shopping.

As they walk, some of the older passers-by shoot them disapproving glances. One of them mutters, “Kids these days…”

Rin suppresses a laugh. She can definitely see where the misconception comes from. Kohaku is nice enough and fairly good looking, but he’s nothing other than a friend. No one has been for several years now. The last time she had a genuine, honest-to-God crush was probably in the beginning of college.

It would be nice to be shopping here with someone special though, wouldn’t it?

As if on cue, her phone rings.

Kohaku jumps for real this time, and Rin startles too, abruptly broken out of her stream of thought. “I’m taking this, you go on inside,” she tells Kohaku as they come to a stop in front of the store.

“I-I’ll be here too! Look, they have some displays-” He moves a little further away to give her some semblance of privacy, but stays close enough not to lose sight of her. It works just fine for Rin. She glances at the items kept outside the store before picking up the call. 

“Hello?”

“Rin-chan! Hi, this is Kagome, Sangos’ friend. We met the other day, do you remember?”

“Ah yes! Kagome-san! What a surprise,” Rin says.

“Yes, well… I’ve been watching your videos on youtube and they’re really good!”

“Oh, thank you!” Rin smiles, pleased.

“Yes, and I was wondering-  _ it actually works! Gather around everyone it’s talking!-  _ Sorry, my family is noisy- please be quiet, I’m trying to talk!”

“I’m so sorry, they just got excited all of a sudden-  _ Kagome, press that button! Let’s hear it!-  _ That’s it I’m going to another room. Just give me a minute, Rin.”

“Sure,” Rin murmurs, baffled.

“Right. Sorry again, I’m visiting my family and they, ah, they’re boisterous. But what I meant to say is- I brought your cake over and we all loved it! It’s so delicious.”

“Thank you!”   
“Oh, I should be thanking you! Because of your generosity, I had the best cake I’ve eaten in a very long time. And I would kill for a chance to eat it again. So I was wondering, Rin, do you take orders?”

“Hm?~ oh, I don’t have orders open for the general public,” Rin says after pondering for a moment. “But since I know you, I’ll gladly make an exception!”

“That’s wonderful! - _ Sis! Buy me a fossil when you visit again, it’s so cool!-  _ Shh, Souta! Rin, can I call you later with the details?”

“Sure. I look forward to it!” Rin exclaims.

“Thank you! I’ll call you soon then. Goodbye!”

“Bye,”

Just before Kagome clicks the call off, Rin hears an old man’s voice on the other end-  _ say Kagome, can you get me a working one too?  _ And Kagome’s sigh  _ They’re not good for your eyes- _

Huh. That was weird.

She turns around to see Kohaku right behind her and yelps in shock.

“Sorry! I think I’m done here,” He says sheepishly, holding up two bags. “Shall we get going?”

\-----

Kagome somehow manages to keep the grin off her face and voice during her second call with Rin. She had to sound relatively sane while ordering a cake, after all. But once the call ends, so do all pretenses.

Now that she’s alone in her apartment, she can think and feel freely.

And she can’t believe her luck.

Not only will Sesshomaru get married, but he marries  _ Rin.  _ This Rin. The very same woman she’s ordering Inuyasha’s birthday cake from.

And the fact that she met her on the same day her troubles began… well, it’s fate. And if she was meant to play matchmaker, she accepts with grace. And a good amount of glee.

Sesshomaru, ‘Iceberg’ Sesshomaru who has never once shown interest in anyone, somehow falls in love with an ordinary everyday human woman. Who would have ever thought?! 

It’s like a fairy tale! 

The next morning she drives up to the Taisho estate with her mission. Inuyasha’s out, but he’s not who she came to see. She marches up to Sesshomaru’s office, takes a deep breath and knocks.

“Who is it?” Jaken asks from inside.

“Your master’s new sister!” she calls. “Well, sister-in-law. In some time.”

The door opens to Jaken’s scoff. Unperturbed, Kagome beams at him. “Now where is he?”

“Inside, but he’s busy. Is this important?”

_ Only the most important thing in his life,  _ Kagome thinks. She nods to the imp. “Lead the way.”

“Very well. But if he burns you to a crisp I’m not cleaning up.”

“No need for such theatrics, he’s decent.”

Jaken exclaims indignantly and opens his mouth, no doubt to lecture her on how his master was the most perfect being to have ever set foot on Earth and not just ‘decent’. But before he can begin, Kagome spots Sesshomaru’s main office door and lets herself in.

“Hello, big bro!” 

_ Big bro _ is sitting at his polished white desk, typing something on his large desktop computer. His office is fascinating- more sophisticated than his father’s. The same large window sits on his wall but that’s where all similarities end.

Sesshomaru’s office is decorated in white, slate grey and dark blue, with red as a pop of color. There are traditional wooden sliding doors behind him. He has two grey upholstered swivel chairs on the other side of his desk. Fresh flowers are placed in vases in different parts of the room, adding some freshness. Though Kagome has been here a few times before she still takes a moment to look at it all. She can’t help it, it’s beautifully done.

Sesshomaru clears his throat. 

He’s wearing a black turtleneck sweater and thin half-moon glasses today. He looks like a runway model, like always. He spares her an irritated glance before looking back at his desktop screen.

“I wanted to ask a favor.”

No response.

“You see, I was planning a surprise birthday party for Inuyasha next week, and I need someone to pick up his cake.”

“I’ll send Jaken.”

“No, that won’t do! I need him to help me with decorations. He’s the best at those.”

Sesshomaru raises an eyebrow.

“Can’t you go?” Kagome asks, trying her best attempt at puppy-eyes. “Inuyasha wouldn’t suspect a thing. You’re out a lot anyway.”

More silence.

“Plus it could be your engagement present for us.”

“Hm,” Sesshomaru says, and goes back to reading on his desktop.

“Okay, I’ll see myself out then,” Kagome says after a minute.

Mission successful.

\-----

Sesshomaru doesn’t know why his pesky brother’s fiancee was so behind him to go out and pick up a cake. She’s a terrible liar. Jaken is just about as useful in decorations as he is anything else. But it’s clearly important to her.

Which is why, a week later, he’s taking off the roof of the estate to an address fairly far away.

\-----

Rin’s YouTube community post:

Remember the lunchbox cake recipe from my last video? 

I made a giant version today! Look at it sitting in its special lunchbox ready to be picked up… It’s cute in a strange way, haha. I made it for a private order. But now I’m craving some (´∀｀•) 

Click here to watch if you haven’t already!- [Link]

_ Beneath is a picture of the ‘giant’ cake, with Rin partially in the frame next to it. Her face is visible from the mouth down- she’s smiling. She’s holding up a regular disposable lunchbox for scale. The cake is a three-tiered large cake covered in white frosting and red details. _

Likes: 1.5k

Comments: 576

Sorted by: Top

[Eden]: I need this cake in my life.

[Kikujumonji]: My mouth is watering [insert drooling emoji]

[TwoHeadedDragon]: It’s simple- the queen posts, I drop everything and click.

[Luna]: Your top is so cute!

[Emily]: 0.0 gimme

[Bakasaiga]: Rin-chan, are you taking orders? [heart eyes emoji] 

\-----

Rin returns to her laptop from her nervous pacing earlier. The truth is, this is her very first order. It should be a special moment- someone else trusting her to bake for an event- but she’s a little nervous. The price Kagome had offered was much more than Rin’s estimated quote. Is it really worth that much? It’s a simple cake, just scaled-up for a party. 

No, she’s overthinking. It’s a perfectly good cake. She’s even tasted some of the trimmings, it’s exactly what Kagome asked for. There’s no point worrying. She strides to her counter, opens up her laptop and checks the comments on her latest community post. Some of them are in English, which is good practice for her. 

As she hits send on the tenth “thank you!”, there’s a knock on her door. Her order pickup!

She runs to the door with a nervous smile. This is it. She’s going to be calm and composed while handing the cake over and receiving the payment, and thank them graciously.

Except when she opens the door and he steps in, she has to physically restrain her jaw from dropping to the floor.

He’s ethereal. The sunlight hits him perfectly, highlighting his pale, smooth face and gorgeous bone structure. He’s dressed in a black button-down shirt and grey slacks. They contrast beautifully with his knee-length, silky white braid. There are markings on his face, clear indications of his Youkai heritage- a violet crescent moon on his forehead, and two magenta stripes on each cheekbone. His eyes are golden- and they suddenly meet hers with a cool gaze.

Shit. She’s been staring, hasn’t she? How long- no, not now.

Trying for a smile, Rin takes a step back. “Come in! You must be the one Kagome-san said would pick up her order.”

The beautiful stranger nods once.

_ I wonder how Kagome knows this youkai, and why he’s picking up. _

“Follow me.”

She goes to the table where the cake is sat and picks up a piping bag. “Kagome-san mentioned that this was a birthday cake. Who’s it for?”

“... my half-brother. Inuyasha.”

“Hm. Anything in particular you want me to write?”

“Whatever you like.”

Rin glances up. He’s standing a few feet away, scrolling through his phone. The words ‘half-brother’ were simple enough, but something about the way he said it seemed to imply distance. This man doesn’t seem to be all that excited for the birthday boy. Did he even care?

But if he didn’t, why would he even be here to pick the cake up? He was clearly rich enough to send an assistant. His polished leather shoes, expensive watch and belt pointed to that. 

_ Hmm.  _

“You’re sure you don’t mind me writing anything? Anything at all?”

“Do whatever you want.”

_ Hmmmm. _

She picks up the piping bag again, heart suddenly hammering in her chest, and writes her message. 

\-----

Inuyasha knows exactly what will happen. Kagome’s taking him on a walk for at least half-an-hour, and in the meantime, a room is being decorated for him. There’s probably going to be some gifts. A cake. His father will drop in for a few minutes too, congratulate him for staying alive for… how long exactly? He doesn’t remember, but he’s something over 350 years now.

This has been the custom ever since Kagome came into his life. Every year, she’d have some kind of surprise for him. 

It’s honestly cute. 

She’s leading him back home now. He can already hear her heartbeat quickening in excitement and anticipation, and he plays along.

When they open the door, he’s faced with a sight he never thought he’d see in this lifetime- Sesshomaru, sitting by the snack table. At  _ his _ birthday party. Wearing an expression that clearly shows he does not want to be here.

“Wha-”

“You did it! Thank you, Sesshomaru, I knew you had a heart somewhere in there!” Kagome gushes.

“He did what, attend?” Inuyasha hisses at her. “Yeah, no, it’s okay I don’t need him attending my birthday celebration out of pity. I’m not that pathetic.”

Sesshomaru watches him. His facial expression may look even to the outside world, but Inuyasha can see the amusement in his eyes. The bastard’s laughing at him.

“Sesshomaru… get out. Before I make you.”

“No, he’s staying. I invited him,” Kagome says.

“What?! Why?”

“Because he did me a favor, okay? And he’s your brother! Of course I want him to be with us for your birthday!”

“Kagome…” Inuyasha sighs. “Come outside for a second.”

Her expression sets into stubbornness. “Okay. But he’s staying.”

Once outside, Inuyasha sighs and leans against a pillar.

“Look, I know you want us to get along. But you don’t know Sesshomaru. He hates me.”

“He  _ hated  _ you, Inuyasha. He doesn’t anymore. You know this as well as I do. He wouldn’t be living here if he still hates you.”

“Keh. Doesn’t matter. When did he move back in again?”

“Five years ago. Long enough to show you he doesn’t hate you, don’t you think?”

“I think, Kagome, that he should get out. For over three hundred years that bastard has been roaming wild. Then suddenly he comes home and Dad serves him the family business on a silver fucking platter.”

“Inuyasha…”

“Don’t.”

She reaches out and takes his hand. 

“I’m sorry. He has caused you a lot of pain in the past, and I should have seen it from your perspective before inviting him.”

“Don’t apologize, Kagome.” Inuyasha's voice is soft. 

“I can ask him to leave.”

Inuyasha considers it. His very first, most overwhelming response is to say yes. Sesshomaru had been out for his head ever since he was born, for a very long time. He’d tried to kill him numerous times over the past centuries. Father had given him his sword, Tessaiga, to help him survive on his own with relatively weaker powers. Meanwhile, Sesshomaru was given Tenseiga, which was not a weapon of destruction but rather one of life. A jealous Sesshomaru had been on Inuyasha’s heels for decades after that.

Well, until it fizzled out and he disappeared.

Several years later, there were some interesting rumors of Sesshomaru reviving a number of youkai, seemingly out of altruism. He stopped pursuing Inuyasha and Tessaiga. He wandered the countryside aimlessly, accompanied by his faithful vassal Jaken. He began visiting their father more and more frequently. Then he decided to live here permanently. And he hadn’t bothered Inuyasha since.

So really, what’s the harm?

Besides, Kagome trusts him. And she is an excellent judge of character.

“No, there’s no need for that.”

“Really?” Her face lights up.

“Yes, really.”

She tackles him in a hug. “Thank you.”

\-----

“By the way, what favor did Sesshomaru do for you?” Inuyasha asks as they enter.

“Ah, well…” Kagome smiles a little sheepishly. “Let’s open up the cake, I’ll tell you.”

But as it turns out, she doesn’t have to.

On the cake is a slightly wobbly, simplified drawing of Sesshomaru’s face, with two hands underneath holding what looks like a cupcake. Next to it are the words, “Don’t waste my efforts”.

Sesshomaru’s eyes widen.

In perfect sync Inuyasha and Kagome look at the cake, then at each other, then at Sesshomaru, who quickly turns his back to them. And then Inuyasha starts laughing. Genuine, deep, loud laughter. It’s ridiculous. Sesshomaru personally picked up this birthday cake for him, and it’s fucking  _ roasting _ him. 

It may just be the best birthday ever.

\-----

_ Can’t believe I’m leaving already… oh, and I really shoudn’t have gotten a phone for grandpa,  _ Kagome thinks as she’s about to say goodbye to her family. She just finished visiting them after Inuyasha’s birthday with more cake and stories. Stories… damn it, she still can’t stop giggling. What a story Inuyasha’s birthday made! She could barely tell it without stopping to catch her breath for laughter. And once she was coherently able to tell it, her family roared with laughter too. 

Ah, memories.

“Bye Sis!” Souta shouts, clutching his new phone in delight.

Grandpa barely looks up from his, too busy playing Candy Crush.

Kagome shakes her head fondly and gives her mother and Buyo a goodbye hug.

Because she was too weak when it came to them, she had indeed brought the smartphones her brother and grandpa asked for. Though why they wanted such outdated technology was beyond her. The cons far outweigh the meager communication they offer. They’re bulky, actually need to be held, charged, secured, connected to ancient wireless… oh, and terrible for the eyes.

It’s 2318, for goodness’s sake. Normal people are practically telepathic.

But she can’t blame them. Not when she’s the one who chose to live 300 years in the past. 

Sighing, she summons a pod. Barely has she finished thinking the words when it appears in front of her. It’s a tall, egg-shaped thing, floating off the ground easily. Almost effortlessly. But when Kagome puts her foot underneath it she can feel the vent of warm air. The thing runs on stored solar energy and is directed by brainwaves. It’s a little beaten up, an older model, but more economical. 

As she steps in, the pod deducts some credits for her ride. She’ll be there in a matter of seconds, but that’s enough time to draw up the marriage records again. What’s the harm in a little cross-check?

The list appears in front of her and reconfigures to show Sesshomaru’s name in glowing blue letters, with a three-dimensional capture of his head and shoulders. Next to his name is Rin’s, in glowing yellow letters and a similar capture. Definitely the same woman she had met and ordered from. And judging by how Inuyasha’s birthday went, apparently cheeky and bold enough to poke fun at Sesshomaru.

Good, the man had enough people sucking up to him anyway. She’s a refreshing change.

The ball is now in Sesshomaru’s court, and Kagome will watch him with keen interest over the next few days to see how it plays out. She hopes she doesn’t have to intervene again.

The pod pings, announcing their arrival. As she steps out however, she becomes aware of a subtle unease in her mind, one that’s getting stronger and stronger. Maybe the dark is making her paranoid, but it feels like someone is watching her. She pretends not to have noticed even as her senses heighten. 

Someone is behind her.

Her spiritual powers flare up visibly, scanning her surroundings as she turns around.

“Don’t purify me!”

_ A girl? _

“I’m not trying to hurt you. I promise.” 

A tall figure comes out of the shadows. Her hands are up in a gesture of surrender. She’s wearing light-colored pants, a button-down shirt and some sort of hooded cloak.

“Why are you following me?” Kagome asks as she extinguishes her aura.

“I- well… I was following a scent,” the girl replies, sounding a little sheepish. “I thought you were someone I know but I must be mistaken. I’ll leave now.”

She slinks back into the shadows. In a minute, her presence goes out of range. Kagome sighs in relief. She was  _ this close _ to being found out. More importantly, her portal was this close to being revealed. She has to be more careful.

Casting another quick scan, she confirms that the coast is indeed clear before jumping into the well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The shop in Musashino actually exists and it's called Sippo. I think it's cute and kinda sounds like Shippo, so a reference(ish?).  
> As always, comment if you liked it!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin accepts an incredible offer and has the best day ever. Well... until the nightmares happen. Is she as alone as she thinks?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies!  
> I hope you enjoy this new chapter. Before you begin, a couple of notes:  
> 1\. Some readers were confused with the timeline of this story, so I'll explain it here- the main events of this story are set in 2018. Kagome is originally from the year 2318, and her family still lives in that timeline. About four years ago (2314), Kagome found the portal in the well to 2014 and met Inuyasha. Once she was sure of this relationship, she decided to leave her timeline and come to Inuyasha's, aka the present, to be with him. She still visits her family every now and then.  
> 2\. This chapter contains heavy angst and an emotional flashback in the second half. So if you'd like to skip it, stop reading after Rin goes to sleep after Kaede's call. The flashback/dream scene is written in italics.

It’s been almost a week since Rin’s first order. She still gets butterflies thinking about it. How could she not? The man who’d come to pickup was gorgeous. He’d been so quiet and calm too- maybe that’s what emboldened her to write the crazy words in her head.

No, what was she thinking?!

Kagome had called a couple of days after to tell her how much they loved the cake. And then, much to Rin’s growing horror, told her their reactions to her writing on it. Apparently the man couldn’t face them after that and left without even tasting the cake. Rin winced as Kagome told her that part. Shit. He personally came to her studio from who knows how far away, was nice enough to her, and she just had to throw it all back in her own face. 

_ There go my chances with him,  _ she thinks.  _ Assuming I ever had one in the first place. _

Oh well, at least Kagome was impressed. And considering she was the actual customer, that’s all that should matter.

She opens up her filming schedule and looks longingly at the Friday slot. Two more days until she can escape into baking heaven. She really needs the respite, what with her big blunder and an extra-busy office week. Thankfully she’s off work right now, on the train back home. She was lucky enough to get a window seat. She leans back against the headrest, listening to music and watching the city pass by.

And trying not to think too hard about her debacle. It should be getting easier considering an entire week has passed, but it still likes to play out randomly in her head.

Her phone’s notification tone goes off. Grateful for the distraction, she opens it and taps.

It’s an e-mail from a certain Jaken from Taisho Corporation, and the subject line reads ‘Business proposal’. 

_ Dear Miss Rin, _

_ Having seen your YouTube content and sampled some of your food (namely, the birthday cake you made for Miss Kagome), we are very impressed with your creativity and skill. We believe that you have the unique touch we are looking for.  _

_ Taisho Electronics Ltd will be having a smartphone launch event in early February. We would like you to work with our chefs for this event. Your role, if you choose to accept this proposal, is to provide creative direction to the dessert menu. You will be paid handsomely for your services. _

_ If you are interested, please revert to this e-mail and we can discuss the details further. _

_ Thank you, _

_ Jaken _

_ Executive Assistant to CEO, Taisho Electronics Ltd _

_ Taisho Corporation _

Rin’s eyes grow wider and wider as she reads the e-mail. Jaken from Taisho Corp?  _ The  _ Taisho Corp?? As in, Tokyo’s biggest conglomerate? Offering  _ her  _ an opportunity? No, this can’t be real. Even if they knew her, how did they get a hold of her order? Does Kagome know people that influential?? 

No way. It can’t be. It’s a scam e-mail for sure.

It wouldn’t hurt to check up on this Jaken character though.

She copies and pastes his designation line into her search engine, confident that it’s fake. The person doesn’t even have a last name for goodness’ sake. It can’t be- 

Oh.

This Jaken character is real, then. He’s a youkai- explaining the lack of a last name- and clearly listed as executive assistant to the CEO. His profile is on the company’s website. His e-mail is clearly marked as the one to send queries or schedule appointments with the CEO. And when she clicks it, the ID is the same one that sent her this e-mail.

Okay, then.

She goes back to the website and scrolls up, intending to check his profile once again and close the tab. But her finger accidentally touches the link to the CEO’s profile. And when it loads, her heart suddenly pounds in her chest- because it’s  _ him _ . Pickup man. Looking every bit as gorgeous on her screen as he did in real life.

Underneath the picture, it simply says- Sesshomaru, Son of Chairman Inu no Taisho.

\---

It’s already been a week since that fateful e-mail. 

After verifying that the offer was indeed real with the best of her resources and double-checking with Kagome, Rin quickly accepted. Jaken sent her a detailed schedule outlining when she worked, what she had to do, who she had to work with and report to, the exact amount she would be paid ( _ very _ handsomely, just as the first e-mail said) and everything else she needed to know. Not only was the pay excellent, they also offered transport to and from the location of her choice.

Settling matters in her office went smoothly, thank goodness. Her boss knew she had a YouTube channel and this was a personal business opportunity. She was given time off as she needed. 

Settling matters at home was a little more nerve-wracking, though. She hadn’t been away from Grandma for this long since she returned from University years ago. The old woman was in good health, but Rin couldn’t help but worry. What if something happened when she was away? Who’d take care of her? She knew that Grandma would want her to pursue this opportunity and support her fully. She’d even insist that she would be completely fine on her own, it was just for a week, she’d call the neighbours if something went wrong, or any other excuse. But they both knew the older woman was not comfortable with asking others for help. Her social circle was not exactly limited, but she trusted only a few people enough to be honest with when she was vulnerable.

This was the main reason Rin hesitated to do anything that involved being away from Grandma for more than a day.

But this is her dream opportunity, so she desperately wanted to find a way.

“Grandma,” Rin began, eyeing Kaede nervously.

“Yes, dear?” the older woman said, not taking her eyes off her book.

It was the evening after she accepted the opportunity. Grandma had just come home from work and was relaxing. It was still a while before she usually started cooking dinner.

“Do you remember that order I got last week?”

“Of course. You were very excited about it.”

“Yes… well, they really liked it,” she said slowly, watching Grandma’s expression with some trepidation. “and it turns out that one of the people at that birthday party is a CEO. He offered me work for an upcoming company event.”

That got Kaede’s attention. She closed her book and gasped. “What?!”

“I know! Isn’t it amazing?”

“Which company?”

“I don’t know if you’ll believe me, so brace yourself,” Rin said, eyes lighting up. “It’s Taisho Electronics!”

“Child,” Kaede murmurs after a shocked pause. “If I just heard that right… you seem to have some divine luck on your side. You accepted, right?”

“I did.” Rin beamed. “And I can barely believe it myself! It’s happening in the beginning of February, and I’ve been asked to stay at Taisho Estate for the duration of the event. It’ll be for a week.”

“That’s my granddaughter, getting the biggest offers right off the bat!” Kaede walked over to Rin for a big hug. The young woman hugged her back happily.

“I’m excited too. But… what about you? I don’t want you to be all alone for an entire week.”

“Oh don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

_ Sigh. _

“I’m sure you will.” Rin said, mustering calm. “But there’s still a chance something might happen. And I don’t want you to be alone then.”

Kaede pulled away from the hug and looked at Rin, taking in her expression. 

“Don’t worry about me.” She said. And then, her face lit up with an idea. “I’ve been meaning to visit my village for a while. See how Kikyo and everyone else are doing. What if I go when you’re working for this event?”

“Really?”

“Of course. I haven’t visited in several years, and I think it’s about time.”

“Perfect! Just make sure to dress warmly and have the fire running in your house at all times.”

Kaede shot her an annoyed look. “I should be telling you that, young lady.”

And so, that dilemma was solved.

Rin had seen Kaede off at the railway station yesterday. Today, she waits with her bag packed for her own transportation, on the roof of her studio. She’s more than ready for this new adventure.

\---

A few minutes later, an incredible creature lands in front of her. It’s as tall as a horse, twice as wide and scaled like a reptile. Its legs are thick and clawed and it has a long reptilian tail. The most interesting characteristic however, is that it has two necks and two heads. Both heads have a similar structure to a horse’s and are muzzled. 

The creature has a saddle with hooks for luggage. But just for confirmation, Rin looks at its heads and says, “Hello! I’m Rin. You’re taking me to Taisho Estate, right?”

A pair of yellow eyes blink at her. Then it turns and offers its side with hooks to her. Rin smiles. “I see. Thank you!”

She secures her bag to it and climbs on. She isn’t thrilled about the idea of riding out in the open in snowy weather, but the creature radiates warmth. Interesting. Is it a dragon? She picks up the reins and is immediately at a loss. She doesn’t know much about horse-riding, or carrier-youkai riding for that matter.

It was intelligent enough to understand her words, though. Why not give that a try?

“I’m ready to go.” she says. 

It immediately takes off into the air. It’s ascent is surprisingly smooth considering its heavy build and the way it had moved on land. Rin’s previous concerns about being exposed to cold wind and snow disappear as the creature’s warmth remains.

Rin relaxes fully as they fly. This is so much faster and better than a car ride or a train ride, and for the fiftieth time she feels grateful. And immediately embarrassed. 

She poked fun at a CEO of Taisho Corp on her very first order. And he was still kind enough to not only offer her the best opportunity of her life, but also send a carrier youkai to fly her to the estate. She has to visit him and apologize once they land. It would still be a little awkward around him, but she can live with it. As long as she’s cleared the air between them. 

\---

Taisho Estate is a beautiful green paradise. Rin gets an aerial view of it at sunset and she’s immediately charmed. It seems to have a climate-bubble around it, emulating spring within the walls. She shivers in delight as she passes through it. It is every bit as warm as it had looked from the outside. The house itself is smaller than she expected, but has a sprawling garden full of flowering plants, trees and birds. There’s even a little pond! The house sports a more traditional-looking exterior, with sloping roofs, beige walls and wooden pillars.

The creature (Ah-Un, as she named it in her mind) lands in front of the main door. Rin thanks it and unfastens her bag from it’s saddle-hook. A servant arrives and takes Ah-Un away, and another leads her to the house. When the door opens, she gasps. It’s even more beautiful inside. The greenery continues in the form of potted plants of varying shapes and sizes. Several of them are vines, and they wrap around pillars and archways. The interiors are a mix of modern and traditional. The walls are mostly white, and a few are red and dark grey. There’s a lot of woodwork. The concept, at least in the common areas she’s being led through, seems to be clean lines and minimalistic floral patterns.

The servant leads her to a room on the ground floor. Much to Rin’s delight, it has sliding glass doors leading directly to the garden, and large windows with the same lovely view. The room is spacious and bright. The bed is enormous. There’s plenty of storage space, a desk and chair, bedside lights and an attached bathroom. Everything is clean and well-maintained.

As the servant is leaving, Rin sticks her head out of the door.

“By the way, where can I find Sesshomaru-sama?”

\---

It’s been a hard day’s work.

With the new smartphone launch coming next week, and two new deals in negotiation, Sesshomaru has his hands full. But things are going so smoothly that he is satisfied. And fortunate that he doesn’t need as much rest as humans- he’ll be up all night reading Taisho Electronics’ current quarter financial reports, matching them up to the current strategies, and checking what’s performing and what isn’t. And then he’ll move on to today’s reports on progress with the new launch.

He lands gracefully on the grass outside his home office.

An aroma of sugar, butter, cream and berries wafts towards him. Curiosity piqued, Sesshomaru opens the sliding door and steps into his office. On his desk sits the source of the scent- a white paper bag. There’s a sticky-note on it. 

_ For Sesshomaru-sama _

_ Thank you for the opportunity! And sorry I made fun of you. It was very rude of me to make assumptions and write something like that on the cake. I hope you can forgive me. I’ll do my best next week. _

_ -Rin _

So she’s arrived.

Sesshomaru recalls the woman. It wasn’t her cheeky jab that caught his attention, though that had surprised him. She could apparently read him better than most. No, it was the strange sense of familiarity he felt when he’d gone to her studio that day. He was certain they’d never met before but something about her kept tugging at his memories. Her scent, maybe. He couldn’t quite place it. 

He opens the paper bag and the box within to reveal a pretty cheesecake. It’s the baked kind, a creamy pale yellow topped with powdered sugar and mixed berries. There’s nothing written on it this time.

Sesshomaru doesn’t eat human food. 

“Jaken.” he says.

His office door opens and his faithful servant comes in. “Sesshomaru-sama, you’re home!”

“Make sure the kitchen is stocked with the finest baking and cooking supplies by tomorrow morning.”

“What?!” the imp squawks. “But it’s already eleven PM. The shops are all closed!”

Sesshomaru narrows his eyes.

“V-very well, Sesshomaru-sama.” 

Jaken scurries out of the room, muttering under his breath when he thinks he’s out of Sesshomaru’s earshot. Sesshomaru will never tell him he’s at least a hundred metres off. 

Now alone, the young CEO sits down to his papers of the night. 

The cake can stay on his desk. 

\---

Rin wakes up bright and early for her very first day at Taisho Estate. Her stomach had been in knots last night, worrying about everything that could possibly go wrong here. But the sun’s first rays dispel all her fears.

She’s going to do just fine.

After today’s introductory session she will definitely ask someone for a tour of this place. If her room is anything to go by, she’ll love it. The bathroom is spacious and gleaming, with light wood cabinets and marble tiles. The sink is huge. So is the mirror above it. Rin quickly brushes her teeth, showers and gets dressed for the day.

Knowing that she’ll be working in the kitchen, she’d packed some easy-to-wash clothes for this trip. She throws on a yellow blouse and black jeans today and puts her hair into a ponytail.

Then she grabs her phone and takes a mirror selfie. Kaede asked for photos, so this is as good a place as any to begin. After a few clicks she gets the perfect one. She quickly sends it to Kikyo, who was the default contact whenever Kaede went to her village. She’d show the pictures to Grandma at some point.

A servant leads her to the kitchen where she’ll be working on today’s lunch dessert menu.

It’s exactly as expected- tall ceilings, plenty of counter space and two separate gas stoves. It was clearly made for many people to work in. Several of them are professional chefs, and she’ll be working with them. It’s an honor. But it’s also nerve-wracking.

After picking out an apron and washing her hands, she heads to her station. It’s right in front of the pantry. When she gets there, she realizes she’s not alone. A small green youkai is stocking the shelves.

“Good morning!”

The youkai jumps, hits his head and turns around with a glare. Shit.

“I’m sorry I startled you,” she says, wincing. “That must’ve hurt.”

The youkai turns right back to the shelves and, much to Rin’s surprise, begins muttering under his breath. She catches the words  _ out all night, wasted my time, human?, insult  _ and some unintelligible sounds. 

“You were out all night wasting your time for a human?” she asks.

The youkai stares at her, narrows his eyes and turns back. He’s silent this time.

“I wonder who this human is and why they’re so special.”

“That’s none of your business.” the yokai bristles.

“You’re right, you’re right. Sorry.” Rin holds up her hands in surrender, struggling to press down a smile. 

“That’s sorry, Jaken-sama for you.”

_ Jaken?? As in the same one who contacted me for this opportunity?  _ Rin thinks.  _ Don’t tell me I just made a massive fool of myself on my very first day. _

“Of course, Jaken-sama.” she says, looking a little embarrassed.

“Hmpf.”

“I’m Rin by the way. And I’m so grateful for this opportunity, thank you for inviting me here!”

“Of course you are.” he says, still sounding somewhat huffy.

He finishes with the shelves and heads out, adding a muttered  _ troublesome human  _ as he passes her. Before Rin can ponder on his strange behaviour though, a group of young men and women come into the kitchen. The kitchen staff! Rin watches with keen interest as they put on their aprons and prepare for the day. The room is suddenly full of cheerful chatter. Two women and one man come to her. Rin smiles at them.

“Hello! I’m Rin, and I was assigned to work on the dessert menu.”

“Hi Rin! I’m Hina. These are Mari and Enji. We’ll be working with you today.” The taller woman says.

“That’s great! What are we making today?”

“A chocolate dome. It goes well with several desserts, and is relatively easy to make.”

“Amazing! I’ve never tried making that before.”

“Then that’s what you’ll learn today. Are you ready?”

“Yes chef!”

“Good. In a minute, we’ll divide the work. But first I heard you’ll be giving creative input too, so how would you like them to look?”

Rin thinks for a second. “What’s the base dessert?”

“A vanilla ice-cream scoop with caramel sauce and brownie crumbs.” Mari says.

“Hmm. I’ve seen videos where white chocolate is drizzled on top in lines,” Rin says, “and we can try something like that, but with golden drizzle to match the caramel?”

“Good idea! Let’s begin.” 

\---

After a busy few hours, the dessert station is full of beautiful chocolate domes. The rest of the kitchen staff crowd around. Today is on a weekend, so it’s more of a practice day. The actual event begins on Monday. So the fruits of labor will go to the kitchen staff themselves and their friends and family. Everyone’s already tried the entrées and the two main courses, and given their feedback. Rin had watched in awe as some chefs gave their tips and critiques on these dishes. All of them tasted perfect to her. But now all eyes are on the dessert station, and she and her team exchange excited looks. It’s time.

Everyone has their phones out, taking pictures of the desserts. They’re plated on white china plates and lined up in rows. Rin gets a good perspective shot for a YouTube post. A few minutes later, everyone else is done taking pictures too.

“You may eat!” Hina says. “And tell us how it tastes.”

The staff line up, chattering in excitement. They gasp as Enji pours hot chocolate sauce on the first dome. Its peak sinks in almost gracefully, revealing a scoop of vanilla ice-cream drizzled with caramel sauce, a pinch of sea salt and surrounded by a ring of crumbled brownie. It looks absolutely delectable. All eyes are on the lucky first person, a young man who works on main course prep, as he takes a bite.

His eyebrows raise as he eats. Then he does a dramatic mock-swoon and gives the dessert station a thumbs-up. “It’s delicious.”

After that, there’s a clamor as everyone rushes to get theirs. They love it just as much. Rin’s heart feels full watching everyone enjoy the dessert she has a part in making. 

“Good job, you.” she says to her team, all smiles.

“Right back at’cha!” Mari says.

The four of them stand closer together, identical proud and happy expressions on their faces as they watch the magic their food brings. Rin knows there will be some critique on this too but she’s no longer nervous. After this week, she’ll practically be a dessert expert.

\---

Rin’s YouTube community post

I love learning new things!

Today, I worked with professionals and learned so much about chocolate. We made these beautiful chocolate domes which cave in when we pour hot chocolate sauce on top. They were delicious! 

We’re gearing up for an important event very soon. I will be busy all week creating and preparing desserts for the guests. I’m a little nervous but so excited. I won’t be able to post a new video this week unfortunately, I hope you understand!

You can watch my latest video here- [link]

_ Attached is a perspective shot of all the domes lined up. They are covered in golden drizzle and topped with a single edible golden bead each. _

Likes: 2.1k

Comments: 739

Sorted by: Top

[sesshxo]: First comment! 

[starryarm]: OUR QUEEN IS FINALLY GETTING THE RECOGNITION SHE DESERVES

[circleyfrisbee]: what event is this and where can I find the guest list? Asking for a friend, totally not planning to hack my own name in there.

[wiiiings]: Please tell me you’ll teach us this

\---

Rin is glad she asked for a tour, because the estate is gorgeous. There are so many picturesque places- long, narrow corridors with paintings she could stare at for hours, the several interesting artifacts kept in glass cases in the sitting areas, balconies showing off incredible views of the beautifully-maintained garden, floor-to-ceiling windows with a view of the mountains behind the estate, the garden itself, Ah-Un’s enclosure, a certain clump of trees including a weeping willow, and many other spots she found charming. She documents it all with plenty of pictures to send to Grandma. Some of them make it to her Instagram stories too- mainly the outdoors ones. The lighting is excellent and the scenery so pretty, she can’t help but take pictures from every angle possible. They are too beautiful not to share.

She takes off her shoes to enjoy the soft, cool grass under her feet as she walks. 

As she’s going to one of the many benches in the garden, her phone rings. It’s Kikyo’s number.  _ Grandma! _

\---

Kaede calls the minute she sees the pictures. Well, one picture in particular. It shows Rin petting one of the heads of a youkai identical to that two-headed dragon which had first brought Rin to her village years ago. She’s smiling and it seems to be enjoying her touch, lowering the other head to her reach too. 

That by itself wasn’t too bad.

However in one of the video clips Rin sent her, a tiny green youkai walked in the background. It was an exact replica of the one that rode on the two-headed dragon that night. Right down to its clothes and strange staff with two miniature human heads.

The ones who had given Rin this opportunity then… were the ones who saved her as a child?

But how did they recognize her? Why suddenly show her more kindness? Did Rin put two and two together yet? 

Kaede’s pulse quickens.

There’s no logical reason why she shouldn't tell Rin about this revelation, but… she’s alone there. If she finds out, she will ask the youkai many questions. They may tell her how she got those injuries back then- that heavy bruising, cuts, scratches all over her body- and bring back painful memories. Her backstory was clearly a violent and dark one. If Rin were to hear it, Kaede preferred it to happen when she was around, or someone Rin loved and trusted (like Kikyo) just so that she wouldn’t have to go through it alone.

“Hello?” Rin chirps on the other side.

No, she won’t break the news today.

“Hello, Rin.”

\---

Rin walks back to her room, exhausted, barefoot and content. She still can’t believe she’ll be staying in this wonderful place for over a week. The only downer- or rather, slightly confusing thing- was Grandma’s call. The older woman sounded off during their call. Her voice sounded duller and slower than usual. She took a little bit longer to laugh when Rin joked, or exclaim when Rin talked about something beautiful she saw here.

She hopes Grandma isn’t going to fall ill. She won’t be around to take care of her, or make sure she’s recovering well. But Grandma has her entire village and Kikyo to help. And she can visit in her time off with A-un, if she really needs to. This eases Rin’s mind somewhat. She texts Kikyo asking the woman to let her know if Kaede falls ill or if something happens.

There’s no response by the time she’s in bed. Rin would stay up and wait, but her eyes keep closing against her will. She gives up with a sigh and lets it pull her in.

_ She sees nothing at first. Just pure black. Slowly, she starts to hear things. She hears a woman singing a lullaby. Crying babies. A boy’s voice, saying “Rin, time to get water! Let’s go.” She feels a small hand slip into hers. _

_ And suddenly, there’s an explosion of color.  _

_ Next to her is a little boy. No, not little, she’s even smaller. He has kind eyes and an easy smile. He hands her a pot and takes one of his own. “What?” she tries to say, but nothing comes out. _

_ And then her vision expands to her surroundings. A woman is cradling two babies, singing them to sleep. The woman’s eyes flit between the babies and the pot cooking something over the fire. There’s some worry in her expression. She’s dressed in rags. So is the boy next to her.  _

_ The woman’s eyes meet Rin’s and all traces of worry melt away. She smiles a sudden smile, as bright and warm as the sunrise, and says- “Thank you for always helping me, my angel.” _

_ Before she can make sense of this scene, she’s suddenly outside in a forest. This time she’s alone. She’s still a kid, but it feels like some time has passed. A twig snaps a few metres away. She jumps and hides, heart pounding painfully hard in her chest. It’s just a village woman coming to gather some herbs. Rin crouches down even further, doing her best not to move or get caught. _

_ The fear grows and grows until it’s all she can feel. Suddenly, she’s running. Something is right at her heels. Biting. Hungry. She can’t stop or she’ll die. But she trips, turns around and- _

Screams herself awake. 

At least, that’s what she thinks woke her up. She can still hear it ringing in her ears. Her throat feels hoarse. It may have been a dream, but she doesn’t care. It was the most terrifying experience of her life.

And she’s all alone.

Somehow, stupidly, that’s what breaks her. It was just a dream. Nothing to get this upset about. She’s in a comfortable bed in a spacious room, working on the opportunity of her dreams. She truly should have no reason to complain, especially over something this small.

Yet… she feels so alone. 

She takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself. It doesn’t work. Her body shakes with forceful, heaving sobs. She grabs a pillow in an attempt to smother the noise, but ends up squeezing it instead as the tears flow freely. Her body hurts. Her heart hurts. And she can barely open her mouth, let alone form words.

She sits there for what feels like hours, letting the emotion run its course. And after some point she realizes there’s a tapping sound on glass. On… her sliding door? It’s a gentle sound. Periodic, even. As if someone who cares is checking up on her.  _ Ridiculous,  _ she thinks, wiping her eyes with the blanket. 

The tapping continues.

She takes a deep breath, gets up and opens her curtains. A-Un is standing outside. Her face tries for a smile but fails miserably. She opens the door. It looks at her with big yellow eyes and then reaches one head in. She just stands there, sniffling and letting A-Un lay its head on her shoulder. Then she starts to fidget with its mane.

“Did someone forget to lock you tonight?” she tries to say, but her voice is too weak and breaks off mid-question. 

Closing her eyes, Rin takes a deep breath and continues to pet the creature. It’s other head reaches to her other outstretched hand. There’s only silence and the cool night air. It brings her a small measure of comfort.

“Thank you,” she says, after she feels well enough to speak. “It was just a bad dream. I’m feeling better now.”

It makes a noise.

She continues petting it for a few minutes and then gives it a small smile. “You can go now. I’m exhausted, I’ll go back to sleep.”

It headbutts her hand once and retreats.

Rin shakes her head fondly and heads back to bed.

\---

Sesshomaru waits alone in the creature’s enclosure. 

A few hours ago, the woman’s screams had made him jump. They were so full of pain and fear that his body immediately reacted before his mind could catch up. He was halfway to her room when he remembered himself. She would not appreciate his presence in her room in this vulnerable state.

He couldn’t smell any unfamiliar beings or blood. He couldn’t hear the sounds of footsteps sneaking around either. So there were no intruders.

She was physically safe.

He instead redirected his steps to the two-headed dragon’s enclosure. Rin’s scent was strong on it today. She had clearly bonded with it. Maybe it could give her comfort. As he reached the enclosure, the creature was already straining against its restraints. 

He let it out. After some time, her screams subsided. Sesshomaru was not particularly spiritual, but he felt grateful to the universe that his father and Inuyasha were out tonight. They’d probably make a big fuss out of this and make her feel worse.

He sits down on the grass, allowing his fluff to cushion him. He’s still tense. Her sobs make him uncomfortable. It’s a ridiculous notion- Sesshomaru has grown and evolved into a sympathetic being over the past century, but he is still impartial. His more altruistic feelings are weaker than a human’s. The most he is willing to do, is revive dead beings. To comfort a sad living one, who is physically unharmed no less, should have never crossed his mind.

Yet here he is. Sending a creature to do just that.

He hears her thank the dragon and tell it she’s okay, and his shoulders relax. He immediately wishes he didn’t notice that.

Humans are truly dangerous beings.

\---

_ Year: 2318 _

Once the human woman is gone, the girl comes out of her hiding place. 

She saw everything.

Heart pounding, she walks over to the well. It all makes sense now! This must be a portal leading to a different place or time, and that’s where the scent she’d been tracking must have come from. She finally found it after following the Higurashi woman a couple of times.

She pulls up the available info about this well.

A glowing purple screen appears in the air before her, with a three-dimensional capture of the well. She rotates it and carefully cross-checks it from all sides. Once satisfied that it’s the same well, she scans the writing.

‘ _ Bone Eater’s Well-  _

_ No recorded evidence of it being used as a source of water. Rumored over 800 years ago to ‘eat’ Youkai bones and remains. Preserved and maintained as a piece of history, and….’ _

The rest of the information is not particularly useful to her. She found her confirmation- the well is a portal. All that’s left to do is take the leap of faith.

Taking a deep breath, the girl touches the well to prepare herself. Before she can even finish her breath, a rainbow vortex opens and sucks her in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not too shabby, eh?  
> I live off feedback, so feel free to give me a kudos or drop me a comment! Bonus points for anyone who guesses my inspiration for the commenter's names on Rin's community post ;)

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are my fuel, so please let me know if you enjoyed this fic.


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